Wire used in certain processes may be wound and stored on cores as coils. The wire is frequently wound around a central core and secured by metal tie wires that extend through the coil, and across the outer turns of the coiled wire. The tie wires are typically spaced circumferentially around the diameter of the coil and secured by twisting and cutting off the ends of the metal wire forming bumps or protrusions on the surface of the coil.
In packaging the wire, the coil may be placed in a bag constructed from generally pliable material like plastic, paper, or vapor corrosion inhibiting (VCI) paper. The bag may also be constructed from foil laminate structures to preserve conditions inside bag. In certain welding processes, the coil of wire, or electrode, is hermetically sealed to prevent ambient conditions from affecting the wire. To ensure freshness, the air in the bag may be evacuated to preserve the atmospheric conditions inside the package. This ensures that the electrode meets performance specifications when the coil arrives at the desired location. However, during transportation and/or handling, protrusions on the surface of the enclosed article, e.g. wire, form pressure points that act abrasively to damage the bag, rupturing or breaking the vacuum seal. The abrasion increases friction that may lead to eventual tearing of the bag or breaching of the bag seal.